Top 10 Child Care Hospitals in 2022

April
Issue 05
2022
Top
Care
Child
HOSPITALS
in 2022
Living Healthy
Effective Ways to
Ensure Child Health
for Better Living
Eat Well, Stay Well
Importance of Healthy
Eating for Children
The
Assuring a Hopeful Future for
Africa’s Children
Children’s
Hospital Trust

Get the right care
for your Child

Editor’s Note
Nurturing
the Globe!
ife is a gift! A gift that is adorable, cherishable, and
Lone that deserves to be nurtured. And, ideating
about life, the best pick to ideate is the vicious
circle of birth, survival, and death.
But, the most cherishing moments are the ones when a child
is born, the ones when s/he starts to crawl in a safe shelter
under the observation of parents.
Well! Imagine the happiness of those caregivers(parents)
when their child walks for the first time.
As adorable as it may sound, even a small bruise can be
breathtaking for parents and can have a drastic effect, even
with a slight alteration of cardiovascular infliction when the
same infant goes through any illness.
As an infant of 5 years or younger, the only mode of
communication is either laughs, cries, or countenance. Even

though care professionals have focused on parental care
through medical education and enhanced technological
surveillance, a very important segment that speaks about
post-obstetric conduct is Child Care.
With the advancement of care facilities, medicos have
introduced multiple ways that ensure a healthy living
system for a child, and there are many challenges faced by
parents. As a solution, it has become important that child
care facility gets high significance and are brought into the
prime spotlight.
While you flip through the pages, ensure to read the
insightful articles opined by our In-house Editorial Team.
I hope you have an insightful read!
- Bhushan Bhad
Understanding these intricacies of child care and
acknowledging the efforts put by Obstetricians, we came up
with a solution. Our latest edition celebrates the most
favorable Child Care Units and features the global medicos
who are transforming the healthcare world for the better.

Cover Story
The Children's Hospital Trust
Assuring a Hopeful Future for Africa's Children
08
22
Living Healthy
Effective Ways to Ensure
Child Health for Better Living
Articles
34
Eat Well, Stay Well
Importance of Healthy Eating
for Children

Contents
Interview with Insights care
Kidist Amare
Dedicated to the Purpose of Serving
the Community
16
OSF Children’s
Hospital of Illinois
Providing Comprehensive Pediatric Care
30
CXO
Five Benefits of Body
Massage for a Healthy
Lifestyle
26
The Role of
Fathers in Children’s
Mental Health
38

Editor-in-Chief
Senior Editor
Managing Editor
Assisting Editors
Visualiser
Art & Design Head
Co-designer
Art & Picture Editor
Pooja Bansal
Anish Miller
Abhishaj Sajeev
Trishika, Shrutika
David King
Mrunalinee Deshmukh
Paul Belin
Rohil Shinganapurkar
Business Development Manager
Marketing Manager
Amy Jones
John Smith
Business Development Executives Sarah Wilson, John Smith, Alex Vincent
Sales Executives Kelli, Bill, Anna
Technical Head
Assistant Technical Head
Technical Consultants
Digital Marketing Manager
Assistant Digital Marketing Manager
SME-SMO Executive
Research Analyst
Circulation Manager
Jacob Smile
Amar Sawant
David, Robert
Alina Sege
Renuka, Atul
Gemson
Eric Smith
Tanaji Fartade
sales@insightscare.com
April, 2022
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Top
Care
Child
HOSPITALS
in 2022
Company
Featuring
Brief
Akron Children’s Hospital
akronchildrens.org
Harun Rashid
VP
Akron Children's Hospital is the largest pediatric
healthcare system in Northern Ohio.
BayCare Health System
baycare.org
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Children’s Hospital
rwjbh.org
Tommy Inzina
Founder
Barry H. Ostrowsky
CEO
BayCare is a leading not-for-profit healthcare system that
connects individuals and families to a wide range of services
with the mission of serving through community-owned,
healthcare services that set the standard for high-quality,
compassionate care.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital under the
RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey’s largest integrated
health care delivery system, providing treatment and
services to more than three million patients each year.
Heights Pediatrics
heightspediatrics.com
Katerina Silverblatt
CEO
Heights Pediatrics is committed to providing the highest level
of medical care to children, tailored as per their needs, from
birth through adolescence.
Helen DeVos
Children’s Hospital
spectrumhealth.org
LANCET Health Services
www.lancethealthservices.com
Medcare Hospitals
& Medical Centres
medcare.ae
MITERA
mitera.gr
OSF Healthcare Children’s
Hospital of Illinois
osfhealthcare.org
The Children’s Hospital Trust
childrenshospitaltrust.org.za
Tina Freese Decker
CEO
Kidist Amare
MD General
Practitioner &
Medical Marketer
Andre Daoud
CEO
Vassilios Kelaris
VP
Michael Wells
President
Chantel Cooper
CEO
Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system that
provides care and coverage, comprising 31,000+ team
members, 14 hospitals (including Helen DeVos Children’s
Hospital), currently serving over 1 million members across
the state of Michigan.
LANCET HEALTH SERVICES PLC (LHS) is a visionary
hospital made up of 24 prominent and well renowned
specialists with the goal of establishing quality, affordable
and accessible health care services in Ethiopia.
Medcare, a premium healthcare network that operates out of
the United Arab Emirates, is a venture of Aster DM
Healthcare, a global healthcare group with 317 medical
establishments across 9 countries.
Mitera is a telehealth company focused on reproductive health
that informs and educates patients about their pregnancy-related
risks and options through at-home genetic testing kits,
empowering them along their family-forming journey.
OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois is a 136-bed,
full-service children’s hospital to provide the highest level of
care for newborns to young adults with common and complex
medical conditions.
The Children's Hospital Trust is a non-profit organization
established in 1994 to raise funds to help advance child
healthcare through the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s
Hospital.

The Children’s
Hospital Trust
Assuring a Hopeful Future for Africa’s Children
,,
Our cause is driven by the need to make a
difference in the lives of sick and injured
children. We are people who work together to
save the lives of children. We all have a
purpose!
,,
Cover Story Cover

Chantel Cooper
CEO
The Children's Hospital Trust

Top 10 Child Care Hospitals in 2022
In a world afflicted by disasters, diseases, pandemic and
warfare, the significance of healthcare has become
immeasurable, becoming even more of a necessity
along with food, clothing and shelter.
For children especially, comprehensive and quality
healthcare is essential for their survival, and also so they
may thrive into their full potential and make a meaningful
contribution to society.
This edition, the Top 10 Child Care Hospitals in 2021,
emphasizes this necessity and highlights those healthcare
institutions and organizations who strive ceaselessly to
deliver comprehensive and quality care to our children.
About The Red Cross War Memorial Children’s
Hospital
At the forefront of specialist child healthcare in Southern
Africa is the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital
in Cape Town, South Africa. Built in 1956, the Hospital is
the largest, stand-alone tertiary hospital in sub-Saharan
Africa, dedicated entirely to children, and manages 250,000
patient visits each year. Most of these patients come from
poor and vulnerable communities from across all nine
provinces of South Africa and all over Africa.
The Hospital has active paediatric outreach and support
programmes for district and primary care facilities and is
regarded as South Africa’s leading centre for postgraduate
specialist paediatric, medical, and surgical training and
research.
The Hospital is fortunate to have the support of The
Children’s Hospital Trust, a non-profit organization
established in 1994 to raise funds to help advance child
healthcare through the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s
Hospital.
Working in partnership with the Western Cape Department
of Health, UCT Department of Paediatrics and Child
Health, and the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s
Hospital management, the Trust has invested over R1
billion since inception towards improving public health
infrastructure, training specialist paediatric health workers,
and supporting the establishment of child public healthcare
projects.
The Trust relies on the benevolence of donors to realise its
aims and objectives. 100% of all donations go directly to
the Hospital and prioritised paediatric healthcare needs and
not a single cent is spent on administration costs. The Trust
has a longstanding record of sound financial administration
and good governance, but whilst it has raised funds to
address many pressing needs, much has yet to be done.
The Epitome of Empathy and Care
“At the Children’s Hospital Trust, we value integrity,
collaboration, accountability, kindness and being dynamic
in everything we do,” says Chantel Cooper, CEO of the
Children’s Hospital Trust.
Chantel joined the Children’s Hospital Trust in 2013 as the
Head of Fundraising and Communication and was
appointed as CEO in 2019. For her, 2020 was a year that
helped her understand perspective and reinforced the
importance of why the Trust exists and the difference they
want to make in the lives of children. “Our cause is driven
by the need to make a difference in the lives of sick and
injured children. We are people who work together to save
the lives of children. We all have a purpose!” she says.
Sharing excerpts from her journey, Chantel says:
“My purpose in life is to serve those who are most
vulnerable: women and children. My career was driven by
my passion to make a real difference in the lives of women
and children. When I was 18 years old, I volunteered for an
organization that provided support for women who had
been raped. While volunteering, I started working with
women in rural areas in the Eastern Cape where we found
opportunities to grow their businesses.”
“My passion to support women led me to Cape Town where
I became Director of Rape Crisis Cape Town when I was 27
years old. After giving birth to two children, I moved to an
organization called St Joseph’s Home for Chronically ill
Children. St Joseph’s is a step-down facility for tertiary
hospitals like the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s
Hospital. It was a profound move for me as I was able to
work with children who inspired me.”
“The children at St Joseph’s are from impoverished
communities and some have been abandoned by parents
who should have been there to provide the love, care and
guidance that every child needs. St Joseph’s not only
provided an environment that provided excellent medical
support, but they also ensured that children were taken to
the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital for doctor
appointments and that they were able to attend school and
play in an environment filled with love and care.”

“One of the most valuable lessons I learnt is the power of
love. You can offer a child the best healthcare in the world,
but what a child wants most is for their parent to love them
and be by their side. This is the value I most appreciate
about the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital.
This hospital believes in child-centred care and knows that
a child heals when their parent or caregiver is by their side
– even during the COVID-19 pandemic. All other hospitals
had restricted access to patients, but the presence of a
parent is imperative to their sick or injured child’s healing.”
Overcoming Adversities
,,
At the Children’s Hospital
Trust, we value integrity,
collaboration, accountability,
kindness and being dynamic
in everything we do.
We asked Chantel about the challenges that the Children’s
Hospital Trust faced during the pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic taught our team that life can
change in a blink of an eye and that we need to be prepared
for all possibilities. The pandemic hit the world with such
speed and velocity that we had no choice but to find a way
to not only sail through the storm, but also find ways to get
out of the situation stronger than before.”
Chantel also states that 2020 provided the Children’s
Hospital Trust with the opportunity to learn extraordinary
lessons that they would not have normally had the
opportunity to learn and some of these include:
• The value of deep listening and the importance of
demonstrating kindness.
• Working in collaboration created the opportunity for
meaningful impact for our beneficiaries.
• Opportunities do exist during challenging times;
positivity exposed the opportunities.
• Adapting to change during uncertain times helped to
build a resilient team.
“Our Trust team demonstrated ingenuity, compassion,
resilience, commitment, and fortitude during a very difficult
time. As a result, we surpassed our goals, and this enabled
our organization to reach more children and families. We
are grateful for the contribution from every individual,”
adds Chantel.
“Walking through the corridors of a children’s hospital
during a crisis gives perspective on the real value of care,
kindness and collaboration. While children were not the
face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Social Work
Department experienced first-hand the profound impact the
pandemic had on children’s health and well-being.”
“Unemployment, food insecurity, child safety and schooling
were common concerns for many patients and their parents
who entered the doors of the Hospital. The Red Cross War
Memorial Children’s Hospital values patient and familycentred
care which includes care for the whole family from
a holistic perspective.”
“In response to the needs of the families, the Trust secured
funding to enable the social workers to provide additional
counselling services and material support such as the
provision of food, hygiene and home-schooling supplies to
vulnerable families when children were discharged from the
Hospital.”
“In addition, with generous support from donors, the Trust
was able to support the COVID-19 Response Plan which
helped enhance the safety of staff, patients and their
families at the height of the pandemic. The predominantly
adult-centred approach to COVID-19 has meant that the
impact of the pandemic on South Africa’s children was not
anticipated.”
“Public and private stakeholders have the responsibility and
opportunity to learn lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic
and ensure that the voices of children are central to
decisions that affect them directly and indirectly. Access to
healthcare is critical to the future health of children in our
country.”
The Virtue of Compassion
We asked Chantel what advice she would impart to budding
healthcare professionals. She said, “I am fortunate to be
able to meet inspiring people across Africa. The Children’s
Hospital Trust raises funds for a project that creates a

platform for improving child healthcare throughout Africa.
The African Paediatric Fellowship Programme (APFP)
builds a specialist paediatric clinical workforce, research
and training capacity across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Initiated by the University of Cape Town, in partnership
with the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital,
APFP provides relevant training for African child health
professionals by Africa, in Africa. The project confirms that
Africa has 24% of the global disease burden but only 3% of
the world’s health workers. Critically, there is fewer than 1
paediatrician per 100,000 children in sub-Saharan Africa
compared to 99 per 100,000 in the USA. As these child
health leaders return to their countries, they ensure that they
represent the voices of children to ensure that they have
access to health care.
“We can learn from these Fellows who aspire to change
their systems against all odds. The Fellow who started a
child-focused cancer unit. The Fellow who started a
vaccination body that included East and West Africa, as far
too many children in Africa are dying from preventable
diseases. Through collaboration, commitment and support,
change happens. Growing children are unique, and their
needs are different to adults. As leaders, we need to ensure
that all children can access healthcare that focuses on their
needs.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that we
cannot lose sight of what children need as they grow up to
become adults; they are the future generation. Let us use
these lessons and work together to ensure that we, as
leaders, continue to build the platform for improved child
healthcare for those who need it the most,” adds Chantel.
Redefining Excellence
For the Children’s Hospital Trust, it is not about awards and
recognition. The Trust has invested over R1 billion of
donated funds since inception, including the training for
over 600 healthcare workers from Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Trust raises funds for the upgrade and expansion of the
Hospital’s buildings, the purchase of state-of-the-art
medical equipment, new medical treatment projects and
funds the training of medical professionals across Africa –
ensuring that the Hospital not only retains its world-class
stature, but is able to continue providing life-changing and
life-saving care for children.
The Trust relies on donations in order to fund these needs.
When you donate to the Trust, 100% of your donation goes
towards funding projects that change children’s lives (and
the lives of the people who love them). The operational
costs of the Trust are funded from an endowment, so your
generous contributions are never used to cover
administration costs.
Since April 2019, the Trust has been actively raising funds
for the upgrade and expansion of the current Emergency
Centre. The project is being delivered in two phases, with
phase 1 completed in October 2020, and phase 2 in
February 2022. The upgrade and expansion will improve
personalised care and flow of patients and healthcare
professionals through the extremely busy frontline of the
Hospital.
All spaces have been designed with the comfort and safety
of young patients in mind. Despite the pressures and
inconvenience of construction in progress, Emergency
Centre staff have been committed to maintaining the high
standard of care needed to minimise hospitalisation and
ensuring that the children return home to their families
without delay. So far, R121 million has been raised, which
means that they are only R1 million away from their goal.
The African Paediatric Fellowship Programme (APFP) saw
16 Fellows complete their training in 2020, bringing the
total number of alumni since the start of the programme in
2007, to 131. 92% of alumni are still working in Africa, a
testament to the robustness of the programme’s approaches
to building capacity for Africa.
The Weekend Waiting List Initiative (WWLI) has been
running as an annual project since 2011. The Initiative was
established to address the protracted waiting list by adding
an additional day of surgeries (Saturday) to the hospital’s
operating schedule. By reducing the large volumes of
relatively minor cases, more scope and flexibility are
provided for more complex cases to be attended to during
the week.
During 2020, with most elective surgeries cancelled in the
first half of the year due to the pandemic, it was estimated
that it will take up to two years to catch up the additional
surgical backlog these delays have caused. Resuming in
July 2020, the WWLI was therefore central to the
Hospital’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trust team
,,Our
demonstrated ingenuity,
compassion, resilience,
commitment, and fortitude
during a very difficult time.

“What 2020 also brought to light, was food insecurity.
Many children were not receiving regular food due to
COVID-19-related job losses and ongoing poverty issues.
Through the Trust and its donors, snack packs were
provided to parents and children whilst waiting for
appointments, and food parcels and care packages were
provided to vulnerable families upon discharge. Transport
funds have also been provided to ensure children are able to
attend treatment and follow-up appointments,” Chantel
expressed.
Creating the Silver Lining
Talking about her vision for scaling The Children’s Hospital
Trust’s operations in 2021 and beyond, Chantel says, “the
benefit of a dedicated children’s hospital is that children
receive specialised care through multi-disciplinary teams
that focus on holistic care where the child is seen as more
than just another patient. The focus is on providing
specialised care for that child and their family to ensure that
they can take care of their child when discharged from the
care of the hospital.”
“Not all children are safe in their families and the social
workers work in partnership with the clinical team to ensure
that the safety and the needs of the children come first.
There are adults in a children’s hospital who are ready to be
a voice for children who are not able to speak for
themselves.”
“The Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital is a
tertiary hospital that provides internationally recognised
specialist care for children. Prior to the COVID-19
pandemic, there was an average of 250,000 (two hundred
and fifty thousand) patient visits every year with 45,000
children coming through the Emergency Centre. The
Children’s Hospital Trust has a vision to ensure that all
children, no matter where they were born, have access to
high quality, accessible healthcare.”
,,
The Children’s Hospital
Trust has a vision to
ensure that all children,
no matter where they
were born, have access to
high quality, accessible
healthcare.
“While we were all trying to make sense of what was
happening, generous donors continued to support our
beneficiaries. We would not be able to make the difference
we do without the loyal support from our donors. We are
deeply grateful for their belief in our cause and the change
brought about by donations is not only visible, but also felt
by all staff, patients, and their families, and impact lives for
years to come.”
“We thank them for walking the journey with us, and even
though we are operating in a different reality, we remain
committed to our purpose of ensuring high quality,
accessible child healthcare through sustainable funding.
Every child deserves access to healthcare so that they can
grow up to live their dreams. Every little one counts,”
concludes Chantel.
“We are currently assessing the child healthcare system to
determine where we can make the most difference to ensure
that we achieve our vision. We are doing this through
collaboration with various public and private stakeholders
who believe in the same vision for child healthcare.
Supporting other health facilities in communities that the
Red Cross War Memorial Hospital serves, will help
alleviate the pressure on the Hospital. We want to ensure
that a mother who needs to rush her critically ill or injured
child to a nearby health facility that can save the life of her
child, is able to do so safely and quickly.”

Top 10 Child Care Hospitals in 2022
Kidist Amare
Dedicated to the Purpose of Serving the Community
Lucky are those whose life is largely driven by
purpose. And, if one has found his/her mission to
live by, chances are that they have found the map of
treasure for a lifetime.
Yes! the path won’t be easy, but knowing what one really
wants always keep them motivated to do everything that
needs to be done.
In a world filled with an infinite number of purposes, one
that really stands out is serving society. As known globally
that nurturing humanity and serving society’s betterment
may not only make the world a better place but also lead the
globalized village into a harmonious community. And, there
are numerous ways and professions through which an
individual can serve society.
One profession that enables an individual to be at the
service of society all the time is the healthcare profession.
The healthcare professionals these days are working with
the utmost dedication to heal the community from all kinds
of diseases and keep them well informed as well.
In our quest to find such extraordinary healthcare
professionals who are driven by a purpose to be at the
service of people, we came across Kidist Amare, MD. She
is currently working as a General Practitioner and
Medical Marketer at Lancet Health Services.
We had an opportunity to interview Kidist, where she spoke
all about her journey, purpose, and passion for helping the
community through her profession.
Let’s know more about Kidist in her own words.
Please shed some light on your leadership journey in the
healthcare space.
weaknesses. I consider myself fortunate to have discovered
what I'm passionate about earlier in my career path, and I'm
grateful for enjoyable and fulfilling work that allows me to
help patients and my community overall.
For me, the leadership journey has been an unexpected but
life-changing experience that has allowed me to learn and
grow in a range of ways. It has helped me acquire the
various skills required to execute projects, inspire teams
and colleagues, and drive the hospital’s growth and patient
satisfaction.
Prior to being promoted to a marketing managerial position
a year later, I started out as a member of the marketing team
at Lancet General Hospital and focused largely on the
digital marketing aspect while also maintaining my clinical
practice as a general practitioner. I enjoy preparing medical
posts that help promote health and raise awareness for the
hospital's 30,000+ Telegram group members and other
social media platform followers.
In addition, I am serving as the secretary and associate
director of the hospital’s CPD (Continuous Professional
Development) Center. I genuinely enjoy engaging with
people, expanding my knowledge, sharing what little I
know, and educating others who might benefit from what I
know.
What was the inspiration that prompted you to venture
into the healthcare niche?
Perceiving the impact that diseases, in general, and
particularly non-communicable diseases such as diabetes
and hypertension, had on my family and community
inspired me to enroll in medical school and begin my career
as a health professional.
I believe we can all advance in our careers if we can
identify our purpose and make the most of our strengths and
16|www.insightscare.com April 2022

I believe we can
all advance in our
careers if we can
identify our purpose
and make the most
of our strengths and
weaknesses.
Kidist Amare
General Practitioner &
Medical Marketer
LANCET Health Services

But after completing my medical school studies and
venturing into the medical field for practice, I came to the
realization that caring for individual patients is insufficient
to have a significant impact on our society’s well-being, and
that is prompting me to devote more time to the public
health sector and health promotion.
Being the General Practitioner and Medical Marketer at
Lancet Health Services, how do you envision growing
your network operations into the healthcare niche?
Our team is working tirelessly to provide comprehensive
specialty services to patients who seek our help and support
day and night. In the short time it has been in operation,
Lancet has managed to grow from a specialized medical
and surgical center to a general hospital and has expanded
its services significantly.
I believe this growth is owed to the vision and mission it
carried from inception and the dedicated staff that helped in
realizing them. And in order to continue growing, we intend
to continue utilizing natural structural network features that
necessitate effective information transmission as well as
social and professional interaction within and across
networks.
From initiating your career as a medical intern to a
medical marketer, what were the challenges you faced,
and enlist us the professional hacks that helped you
become the grand success that you are today?
I was just starting my journey of self-discovery after
completing my internship, so the first thing was, of course,
confusion. The only thing I knew about myself was that I
was a physician who wanted to learn and grow as a person
to become the best version of myself and that I was leaning
toward a career in public health. So, I did not know where
to begin, like most of us, I’m sure. And when I was
unexpectedly presented with the opportunity to become a
medical marketer, I took it with a little hesitation, not sure
where it would lead me.
The other two significant challenges I can identify are
a) the occasional indecision between pursuing other public
health initiatives and continuing my clinical practice; and
b) the ongoing struggle to maintain social and work balance
as my work requires extra time and dedication. But because
I'm an ever-growing and evolving person, I’m taking the
challenges one day at a time.
The following are some hacks that I can share with all of
my medical marketers, healthcare professionals after
healthcare leaders.
One of the challenges I faced earlier was not knowing how
to develop and implement medical marketing strategies
with the limited knowledge I gleaned from minor online
courses. But over time, with the help of my seniors’
guidance, the sharing of experiences, and constant trial and
error, my team and I have tried and succeeded in
developing the hospital’s brand and growing exponentially.
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Dedication is key. Devote your time, energy, and
resources if you would like to evolve both
professionally and personally.
Learn your trade. Stand out from the crowd.
Ask questions and keep learning without holding back.
18|www.insightscare.com April 2022

by offering physicians a chance to practice the latest and
most innovative cutting-edge treatments.
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
For me, the
leadership journey has
been an unexpected but
life-changing experience
that has allowed me to
learn and grow in a
range of ways.
Always focus on the bigger picture.
Join professional organizations- as this provides an
excellent opportunity to connect with people who can
provide valuable advice and endorsements at critical
points in your career.
Attend conferences and events - as these offer the
opportunity to mingle with a wide range of peers, which
can be a powerful networking tool.
And let me cite a remark I previously found on the James
Lind Institute website, which I think captures the
advantages of clinical research perfectly, and it goes,
“Participation in clinical research gives first-hand
experience in medical advancement and fulfills the quest for
intellectual curiosity, growing research provisions, and
supporting career advancements.”
This also helps individuals in the healthcare niche advance
their careers in the sector while giving them the platform to
bring about major impact for their community and people
around the globe.
When we proceed to healthcare PR, the “love” for
searching for medical information online is one of the most
significant trends that has emerged alongside the
exponential rise of digital adoption--thus using this to an
advantage to communicate with the general public , health
institutions can benefit a great deal.
Please give us your valuable input about the future of
the healthcare niche for the budding enthusiast aspiring
to venture into the medical niche.
Ÿ
Finally, and most importantly, determine your passion
and purpose.
What were the lessons from your initial professional
years that made you ramp up your growth curve?
What I believe has helped ramp up my growth curve is the
realization that is undertaking the challenges and continuing
to work through the difficult times when I had little or
nothing to show for the effort and time I was putting in
helped in the completion of the tasks I was working on. So,
I will continue to work hard and persistently by completing
each task one at a time until I get results.
As a successful leader in the healthcare niche, what is
your opinion on the future of medical research and
medical PR, which is currently grabbing the global
spotlight?
I believe the future of medicine relies heavily on clinical
research, as it is a fact that research broadens evidencebased
medicine and also leads to patient care optimization
The healthcare sector is one that is vast and untouched. I
know it has given me a great deal of pleasure to deal with
my patients, treat them, and see them get well. At the same
time, it has made me vulnerable. It has led me to embrace
my emotions, develop more empathy and humility, and
helped me get in touch with my feelings and emotions as
well; it has helped my personal growth significantly.
But like I said, the health sector is vast and also evolving,
so for anyone who is planning to venture into the medical
niche, all I can tell them is that it’s a field that gets them to
help their family, friends, community, and the world and
also, at the same time, helps them to have multiple options
to advance their careers. So I say, go ahead! Find your
passion and go for it!
And finally, I’d like to extend huge gratitude to the
Insightcare team for having me. This interview was
honestly an experience of a lifetime.
19|www.insightscare.com April 2022

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Effective Ways
to Ensure
Child Health
Living
for Better
he human species are constantly on a quest to live a
Tbetter life. To do so, they utilize every possible
method presented to them.
It is demand more than a choice. They seek good health for
themselves and their children too! While adults possess a
good immunity against viruses and germs, infants and
children are more likely to catch diseases that can later
prove dangerous for their health. This creates a stressful
situation for the parents.
Parenthood choices are made even before the birth of the
child. The decision of ways to raise them, discipline them,
and feed them comes with a variety of options that makes
parenthood strenuous. These decisions require statistics of
the methods and some serious thinking to ensure the better
safety of the child. Parents often make mistakes in the
confusion about the methods to raise their wards healthily
and effectively.
But, how healthcare discoveries and medical practices are
easing the problems and coming up with effective ways to
ensure child health for better living
22|www.insightscare.com April 2022

Living Healthy
23|www.insightscare.com April 2022

So, what could be the promising ways to corroborate that?
Let's move forward to find out.
HABITS EMPOWER THE CHILDREN
Good habits forge the way to a good life. Children, from
their childhood, must be taught effective habits to gain
access to healthy living. Making them learn from an early
age has proved to be profitable in ensuring better health for
their present and future.
One of the trouble-free ways to educate a child to improve
his/her behavior is by enabling them to learn ways to
healthy hygiene like how to wash hands attentively to keep
pathogenic infections away.
Hence, teaching the children to wash their hands after
playing outside, blowing their noses, and using the toilets is
essential.
These ways safeguard the children from falling sick and
prohibits them from spreading diseases across the
surrounding.
KEEP AWAY FROM THE SUN
Sunlight is an essential factor for mankind to survive, but it
might be troublesome for children. Known for their
adorable and playful nature, kids love to play outside in the
summer and get exposed to a lot of sunlight.
As in the infant age group, excessive exposure can prove to
be a causal agent for ill health. And, understanding the
importance of physical activity, the healthcare community
did dig deep and researched the impact of sunlight
exposure. Studies have shown that ultraviolet (UV) rays
possess the power to damage the skin and boost the chances
of developing skin cancer in the later stages of life. It is
recommended for infants not to come in direct contact with
sunlight, as recommended by medicos. The children should
be kept in the shade.
Moreover, the use of hats and clothes that are light in
weight can act as a shield to protect the child. Children are
bound to overheat quickly in comparison with adults. Signs
of dehydration should always be looked out for.
BEING ACTIVE IS EFFECTIVE
Since the day children were introduced to the digital world,
they are consistently becoming a slave to it. They love to
watch movies, tv shows and seek pleasure in playing online
games. This routine is leading the children to become
inattentive and inactive. This generates a way for diseases
to dive in. Focus on the importance of the physical health of
the children should be a priority. At the minimum, routinely,
one hour of physical activity is required to maintain proper
health.
Proper medical guidance can help parents encourage their
offspring to participate in activities that intensify their
breathing and heart rate. Moreover, indulging in exercises
that enhance the strength of their bones and muscles.
Basketball, badminton, swimming, etc. can be a good
sources of enjoyment and health.
FOOD IS THE ULTIMATE SOURCE
The enlarged variety of food often leaves parents puzzled
about choosing the correct food for their children. Parents
sometimes make mistakes in providing suitable food. The
dietary choices for the children affect the kid's dietary
routine in the later stage of growth as an adolescent and
also as an adult. A good habit in infancy can make miracles
happen!
An unstable diet leads the way to harmful diseases.
Attention must be paid to the type of food the children are
introduced to, as the wrong type of food can cause diseases
related to heart, obesity, and diabetes. Experts advise
selecting the sources of food that provide the absolute
amount of nutrition that is required for their ward. Some
examples of such fruits are fruits and vegetables, whole
grains, fresh fish, and poultry.
DIVING TOWARD THE END
Better health and living for the children are desires that
demand an ample amount of effort to be made. People need
to be conscious of the choices they make for the betterment
of the kids. Masses are being responsible these days and are
taking effective measures for the safety of the children
while ensuring the adaption of refined habits encompassing
their future.
24|www.insightscare.com April 2022

Jessica
Co-owner
The Movement Guild

Five Benefits of
Body Massage
for a Healthy Lifestyle
Massage is most often associated with a relaxing
spa service. However, just as there are several
types of yoga or physical therapy styles,
massage therapy varies among practitioners. As such,
bodywork can have many benefits and is a great way to
support a healthy lifestyle. This is especially true for those
that treat soft tissue therapy not as a luxury but as an
essential part of self-care. Recovery strategies have become
more commonplace recently. They include anything from
yoga to vibration guns to heat or cold treatments.
About the Author
Jessica is a registered yoga teacher, a licensed
massage therapist, and Co-owner of The
Movement Guild. TMG is a Chicago-based small
business that o ers one on one physical therapy,
chiropractic care, personal training, and massage
and mobility therapy.
She o ers customized manual and movement
therapy to private clients and teaches specialized
yoga and kinstretch (mobility) classes. She also
provides continued education courses to yoga
teachers that replace conventional anatomy and
memorization with modern movement education
and foundational joint mechanics.
Jessica holds certifications in functional range
conditioning, kinstretch, integrative movement
systems, cranio-sacral therapy, functional
movement taping, RockTape blades and myofascial
cupping.
Their goal is to accelerate the natural healing processes our
body’s cells undergo after vigorous exercise or physical
demands. Massage is possibly one of the most powerful
recovery tools because it can accomplish many recovery
goals in one session.
1. Relaxation:
Higher anxiety levels tend to lower pain thresholds. Or, said
differently, the more stressed out you are the more intense
your pain might feel to you. Lowering your stress levels can
mitigate perceived pain. A massage is a powerful tool that
uses mindful touch to soothe the fight or flight branch of
your nervous system and helps stimulate its counterpart: the
rest and restores branch. In a relaxed state, we sleep better,
retain more information, heal faster, and usually report a
decrease in pain symptoms.
2. Reduces Muscle Soreness:
Regular tissue work can help reduce muscle soreness.
DOMS or delayed onset muscle soreness is what most
people experience 24-48 hours after a challenging workout
or physical activity. Massage promotes fluid exchange in
your tissue. Your tissue, including muscles, relies on this
movement of fluid to exchange nutrients for toxins and
deliver oxygen to depleted tissue cells. Basically, massage
can help you recover faster so you can get back to your
active lifestyle. Challenging experience depends partly on
how much independence tissue layers have.
3. Increases Body Awareness:
Your skin is your largest organ. As embryos, our brain and
skin evolve from the same cells and can be considered
continuations of each other. You can think of your skin as
your brain turned inside out and your brain as your skin
27|www.insightscare.com April 2022

4. Addresses Scar Tissue:
Scars are a result of your nervous system’s response to
tissue damage. Whether from an injury or surgery, scar
tissue heals wounds and serves its purpose. However, scar
tissue fibers, unlike “normal” tissue fibers, are disorganized.
This creates two problems. On one hand, this tissue cannot
function as well as undamaged tissue and does not yield as
well to stretch or compression which is necessary for your
muscles (and its connective tissue) to function efficiently.
Secondly, this disorganized tissue provides a blurrier
picture on your brain map. This makes it so that your brain
cannot activate that area as well or as quickly as other
muscular regions. Concerted and frequent scar tissue
(especially when started soon after an injury or surgery)
work can help dampen this effect and maintain good tissue
health.
turned outside in. Input to your skin, e.g., through massage,
stimulates your brain. More specifically, your brain has a
map of every part of your body so input to each region of
skin can increase your brain’s awareness of that region. The
more aware your brain is of your body, the better it can
judge where you are in space and where your body parts are
relative to each other. This is pivotal for movement
coordination and even injury prevention.
5. Increases Range of Motion:
Massage promotes blood flow to muscle tissue. This
increase in circulation alone can allow you to move further
at joints like hips and shoulders. (Pain-free) Massage also
positively affects your brain’s awareness of your tissue
which essentially makes you feel safe. Your brain is always
unconsciously scanning for threats. If you have ever been
startled, you know what it feels like when your muscles
reflexively get stiff. Similarly, stress and anxiety can
contribute to “stiffness” on an unconscious level. Massage
can help bring on a state of calm which can often help you
move more freely.
28|www.insightscare.com April 2022

OSF Children’s
Hospital of Illinois
Providing Comprehensive Pediatric Care
As one might assume that working in the pediatrics
department of healthcare is easy and wonderful,
but it isn’t always like that. Despite the patient
population being all children, there are several challenges
that pediatricians face while working in a children’s
healthcare unit. These challenges range from managing the
family members to dealing with emotional trauma.
OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois is an
organization situated in Peoria, IL that understands these
critical challenges faced by the pediatrics department. As a
premier children’s hospital, it addresses all these challenges
and takes care of the spiritual, emotional, and physical
needs of the pediatric patients.
With an army of compassionate healthcare professionals,
the hospital is spearheaded by Michael Wells, the
President of OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of
Illinois.
In the following interview, Michael expresses how the
hospital has been delivering the highest quality of
healthcare services since its inception.
Please brief our audience about OSF HealthCare, its
values, and its Mission.
OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois is a 136-
bed, full-service children’s hospital. With more than 140
specialists representing more than 40 subspecialties, we
provide the highest level of care for newborns to young
adults with common and complex medical conditions.
Our Mission is to serve with the greatest care and love in a
community that celebrates the gift of life. Our vision at
Our mission is
to serve with the
greatest care and love
in a community that
celebrates the gift
of life.
OSF Children's Hospital is to lead pediatric health through
clinical excellence, innovation, research, education, and
family-focused care. Our core values are justice,
compassion, teamwork, integrity, employee wellbeing,
supportive work environment, trust, stewardship, and
leadership.
What is your opinion on the impact of the current
pandemic on the global healthcare sector, and what
challenges did your organization face during the
pandemic and subsequent lockdowns?
Relative to the adult population, the impact of the COVID-
19 pandemic on pediatric patients has been less severe in
terms of symptoms, the need for high-end inpatient care,
and death. As a result, we did not experience the severe
surge of COVID patients in our children's hospital and
related impact on bed and ventilator capacity, nor did we
experience the negative toll on the workforce that the adult
hospitals experienced.
However, there are a few areas that have significantly
impacted our organization. First, early in the pandemic,
30|www.insightscare.com April 2022

Top 10 Child Care Hospitals in 2022
Compassionate Leader
Michael Wells
President
OSF HealthCare Children’s
Hospital of Illinois
Michael Wells began his career as a
Licensed Clinical Professional
Counselor providing mental health
counseling to children and families.
Soon after beginning practice, his path
shifted to non-profit administration.
He has been with OSF HealthCare
Children's Hospital of Illinois since
2005 and has served in various
leadership roles, including program
and business development,
system-wide quality improvement,
strategic planning, and, immediately
prior to becoming president; he served
as vice president of operations. Wells
has served as president since 2019.
elective procedures were suspended, and the public was
advised to consider alternatives to visiting emergency
departments. As a result, our surgical volumes and
emergency department visits dropped to about 50% of
typical volumes.
In addition to concerns about the potentially negative health
impact of delayed procedures and postponed emergency
department visits for those in need, the sudden and drastic
drop in patient volume created a significant gap in revenue
and challenge in managing staffing that required some
furloughs and redistribution of pediatric staff to other roles.
Second, during the lockdown and subsequent months with
significant precautions in place, we saw an overall decrease
in the types of issues that most commonly result in children
utilizing the healthcare system; primarily infectious illness,
injuries resulting from recreational activities, sports, and
motor vehicle accidents as well as routine visits to
physicians for back-to-school physicals and routine follow
up for chronic conditions.
Pediatric volumes were slower to recover than in adult
healthcare, only seeing a return to pre-pandemic volumes in
the past few months. In addition, along with most other
children's hospitals across the nation, we continue to see an
increase in behavioral health concerns. We can assume that
the stress of the pandemic contributed to an increase in
depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
The result has been a higher number of children in the
hospital for medical reasons with co-occurring mental
health issues. The need has far outpaced the availability of
medical, psychiatric hospitals. As a result, patients are in
our children's hospital, sometimes for long periods after
their medical issues are resolved, waiting for an inpatient
bed at a psychiatric hospital.
Finally, and on a more positive note, during the pandemic,
we deployed new digital tactics to ensure patients could
receive care safely, such as telephone and televideo medical
visits. At one point, nearly half of all visits were done via
31|www.insightscare.com April 2022

televideo, enabling us to improve our systems and
processes to support virtual care.
With constant development in medical technologies, in
your opinion, what could be the future of childcare
services?
Medical technology is advancing more rapidly than at any
time in history. OSF Children's Hospital of Illinois recently
developed an innovation discovery lab through which we
scan the market to identify and test innovative products to
improve the way we deliver care.
Two examples are the adoption of a virtual reality platform
to allow surgeons to interact with 3-D images of the heart
and other organs to help plan surgical intervention and a
new product we are exploring for use in post-acute care that
allows for remote monitoring of patient vitals from
anywhere.
In addition to the adoption of new technology, no doubt the
use of televideo will continue to improve and be utilized as
a means of convenient access to care. We are likely to see
further advancements in medical imaging and treatment,
such as cardiac and neurological imaging and procedures
that can be done via a catheter as opposed to invasive
surgery. These advances will continue to drive the shift of
care from inpatient to outpatient settings.
Finally, treatment advances are resulting in a higher
survival rate among children with chronic, complex
illnesses. More and more, children with complex congenital
illnesses are thriving. As they become adults, they require
the care of subspecialists who specialize in caring for adults
with congenital illnesses.
As a result, at OSF Children's Hospital, we are expanding
our adult congenital programs as well as transitional
programs so that children and families experience a smooth
transition from pediatric to adult care.
As an established leader, what would be your advice to
the budding healthcare professionals aspiring to venture
into the childcare niche?
While leadership in healthcare in and of itself is rewarding,
there is no work more rewarding than that which makes a
difference in the life of a child. In children's healthcare, we

have the opportunity to help change the trajectory of life by
helping children at any stage of health or illness live beyond
limits.
How do you envision scaling your organization’s
operations in 2022 and beyond?
We will leverage resources and expertise to respond to two
strong trends in pediatric healthcare. The first is the shift
from inpatient care in community hospitals to children's
hospitals. We are unique in that there is no other hospital
within a 3-hour radius that provides the level of complex
care for children that we do.
We plan to leverage that expertise to support care close to
home where safe and appropriate and expand programs to
ease the burden for families that need to travel to the
children's hospital for inpatient stays or procedures. We
provide televideo consultation to a dozen community
hospital emergency departments and hold outpatient
specialty clinics in 15 communities. We plan to expand both
strategies.
The second trend is the shift from inpatient to outpatient
care. To strengthen the quality of care as well as referral
channels across the continuum of care, we are deploying
strategies to formalize partnerships with pediatricians
across the state of Illinois to provide medical education,
informal physician to physician consultation, patient
navigation, and establish best practice care guidelines for
common childhood conditions such as Asthma.
What is your opinion on the adoption of modern
technologies such as AI and ML in the healthcare space?
There are a lot of opportunities and much to be learned
about the effective implementation of artificial intelligence
and machine learning in healthcare. Our industry has been
slower to adopt AI and ML than other industries. Some of
that may be due to the emphasis on clinical intuition in the
treatment of illness as well as the challenges with keeping
up with changing protocols and best practices in AIsupported
clinical decision-making.
At OSF Children's Hospital of Illinois, we have begun work
in this area with success through the implementation of AI
regarding predictive analytics related to reducing the length
of hospital stays and readmissions. There is a growing body
of evidence to support the implementation of AI and ML in
developing effective algorithms to improve patient
engagement and adherence to treatment for long-term,
chronic issues. This is something we have begun to explore,
especially related to social determinants of health.
Finally, there seems to be growing evidence and interest in
the incorporation of AI and ML into genomic medicine. We
have had very positive experiences in our NICU with the
use of genomic sequencing to support diagnosis and to fully
inform parents in making decisions regarding care. It seems
like a natural progression to incorporate AI into this process
for effectively planning treatment in settings like the NICU
and even in other settings such as cancer care.
Exhibiting Brilliance
Ÿ
Ÿ
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Ÿ
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Ÿ
Ÿ
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State-designated Level I Pediatric Trauma Center – the
highest level of care available.
The first state-designated Pediatric Critical Care
Hospital.
Proven world-class outcomes in the NICU as a member
of the Vermont Oxford Network.
Most comprehensive downstate Perinatal Center (postbirth
care).
Level IV NICU - the highest level of care available. The
NICU also offers a Small Baby Unit – one of the first in
Illinois – caring for babies born before 30 weeks
gestation.
Home to the only Pediatric Diabetes Resource Center
and Congenital Heart Center in downstate Illinois.
Cares for more children in Illinois than any hospital
between St. Louis and Chicago, with 7,000 admissions,
2,500 new-born deliveries, and 18,000 emergency
department visits annually.
Ranked one of the most technologically advanced
children's hospitals in the world by Top Master's in
Health Care Administration.
OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois was
recognized among the top three children's hospitals in
Illinois and among the top 25 in the Midwest region for
2021-2022 by U.S. News & World Report.
OSF HealthCare Children's Hospital of Illinois is one of
the first ten clinical research centers to join the ASH
Research Collaborative Cell Disease Clinical Trials
Network.
33|www.insightscare.com April 2022

Eat Well, Stay Well
Healthy Eating
for
Importance
H
Humans consider childhood to be the most crucial
part of its existence. From the time an infant is
born until it takes a step toward adulthood, the
child is kept under intensive care. The needs of the child for
their betterment are never neglected.
With intensive care, food has been an ultimate source in the
upliftment of the health of a child. The right amount and
correct choice of food keep a child healthy and possess the
best nutrition within the body, but children tend to like
outside food and do not hold the capacity to understand
what's good and bad for them.
This uncertainty has become one of the major concerns
while taking care of a child. There is an active need to be
conscious of the eating habits of children because wrong
34|www.insightscare.com April 2022

choices may leave the door open for hazardous diseases.
Also, healthy eating has its own set of benefits.
Hop on to find out.
KEEPS DISEASES AT THE BAY
Consumption of unhealthy food is the most significant
cause that invites diseases. Food that does not provide the
proper amount of nutrition to the body must be avoided to
have a healthy lifestyle for the children. These improper
food choices, later on, turn into ill health in adulthood and
later stages of life. Diseases related to heart, obesity, and
cancer can be some examples.
However, opting for the correct type of food can eliminate
all these risks and help in maintaining a healthy body which
directly leads to a healthy lifestyle for the child.
MENTAL STABILITY
A healthy diet not only provides the betterment of the body
but also ensures to boost in mental health. Studies have
shown that children's mental health is related to the food
choices they make. There is a lower risk for mental
disorders such as anxiety and depression if the dietary habit
of the child is potentially rich in vitamins and minerals. The
option of high vitamin food diminishes the chances of
mental illness in the future. It helps the kids to perform
easily and have a good focus in their educational
institutions. Fish, eggs and their yolk, peanut butter, etc.,
can be a good source of nutrition.
RIGID IMMUNITY
After the world has been impacted by the COVID-19 virus,
the masses have understood the concept of immunity. A
stronger immune system leaves no place for diseases to
enter the body, which means fewer risk for children to catch
infections like cold and flu. To avoid these situations, good
nutritious food is the solution. Fresh fruits and vegetables
are a good source of immunity for children. Keeping this in
mind, in 2017, some researchers associated high vegetable
and fruit consumption with a shrunken risk of
rhinoconjunctivitis, which leads to nasal symptoms,
eczema, conjunction, and red eyes. They also found out that
these types of conditions were mainly caused by the
consumption of burgers.
MAINTAINING BODY WEIGHT
The ideal weight of each person varies from each other.
Maintaining the perfect weight is a task that requires
dedication. For keeping the children within their
recommended weight range, nutritious food lends itself to
having the appetite of the child in control. The medical
sector duly noted this issue and came up with an analysis
that showed children's dietary changes in the years of
preschool. There was a massive incline in sugar intake of
the children, which continued until adolescence. At the
growing age, intake of low-nutrient food has been linked
with problems such as obesity. Rather than focusing on
increasing the child's weight, the consciousness of eating
the right food should be the correct choice.
HEALTHY GROWTH
In the middle of their growing age, the intake of food that is
high in nutrition in children has been the fuel for the
efficient development of their body. A child's body requires
a sufficient quantity of vitamin D and calcium for healthy
and strong bones. Daily, at average,1,000 milligrams of
calcium is recommended for children aged between 4 to 8,
and the age group of 9 to 18 requires an increased amount
of 1,300 milligrams. Nutritious food is the applicable
source for these requirements. Low-fat dairy products
provide the perfect quantity for better growth. Moreover,
salmon and dark leafy green vegetables also contain
calcium.
THE FINAL WORDS
The health care industry is advancing in every aspect of
providing the best solutions for a better life, from an infant
to the old. Research has been conducted from time to time
to look for problems, and efforts are made to come up with
solutions in a short span. Dietary choices have played a
vital role in keeping a child healthy, physically and
mentally too!
Physical and mental health both have an important aspect in
the early years of life. None of these could be neglected for
a better future. Awareness campaigns are being held by the
health care industry to ensure their vision of better health to
reach out in the world.
36|www.insightscare.com April 2022

The Role of
Fathers in
Children’s Mental
HealthBy- Rajeev Thakur
Mental health has gained sudden prominence after
it became the biggest fallout of the COVID-19
pandemic and the subsequent lockdown,
especially amongst children & adolescents, who have been
shuttered down amidst the growing virus spread. They have
been unable to access an essential social safety net as they
were prevented from learning, playing, intermingling with
friends, and moving outdoors. Children also suffered from
unimaginable grief & trauma over the loss of near ones. The
severity of the mental health challenges has the potential
that can lead to disability, disease, death, or cause
impairment leading to anxiety and depression.
Mental health, especially in children, impacts their ability to
succeed in school, college, at work, and in society. Their
overall health, a combination of physical and mental health,
affects how they think, feel and act on the inside and
outside. It is a fact that mental health is important
throughout childhood—from the prenatal stage through the
transition into adulthood.
In the past, a child’s developmental stage had been
considered a mother’s responsibility, as reinforced by
Abraham Lincoln, who said, “All that I am or ever hope to
be, I owe to my angel Mother.” In the field of psychology,
too, a mother's influence on a child's mental health has been
given prominence, but over the last few years, there has
been a significant shift in our culture around family
structure and parenting roles. Psychological studies &
research have confirmed the huge influence that fathers
have on the mental health of their children. Evidence
suggests that responsible and involved fathering, starting
from the prenatal period into adolescence, has huge positive
effects on the well-being of children right up to adulthood.
High levels of father involvement are correlated with higher
levels of sociability, confidence, and self-control in
children. Children with involved fathers are less likely to
act out in school or engage in risky behaviors in
adolescence. Fathers provide a positive male role model for
their children and help to promote better behaviors. As a
result, children with more involved fathers tend to have
fewer behavioral and impulse control problems, longer
attention spans, and a higher level of sociability. Studies
have also shown a huge impact of good fathering on
cognitive ability, educational achievement, psychological
well-being & social behavior of children.
One of the most important influences a father can have on
children is indirect, through the quality of his relationship
with the mother of their children. A father who has a good
relationship with the mother of their children is more likely
to be involved and to spend time with their children and to
have children who are psychologically and emotionally
healthier. The quality of the relationship affects the
parenting behavior of both parents, who are likely to be
more responsive, affectionate, and confident with their
infants; more self-controlled in dealing with defiant
toddlers; and better confidants for teenagers seeking advice
and emotional support. Parents who show their affection for
each other openly in front of their children provide a greater
feeling of security and closeness to the children.
Fathers who treat the mothers of their children with respect
and deal with conflict within the relationship in an adult and
38|www.insightscare.com April 2022

appropriate manner are more likely to have boys who
understand how they are to treat women and are less likely
to act in an aggressive fashion toward females. Girls with
involved, respectful fathers see how they should expect
men to treat them and are less likely to become involved in
violent or unhealthy relationships. In contrast, research has
shown that husbands who display anger, show contempt for,
or who stonewall their wives are more likely to have
children who are anxious, withdrawn, or antisocial.
On the flip side, a father can cause great harm to children
through maltreatment which could primarily be any one of
the following:
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Physical abuse like punching, beating, kicking, biting,
or shaking a child.
Sexual abuse like any sexual contact with a child, the
simulation of such conduct with a child, or exposing a
child to sexually explicit material or conduct.
Child neglect, which is a failure to provide for a child's
basic needs like health care, food, clothing, adult
supervision, education, and nurturing.
Psychological maltreatment, which could be ridiculing,
terrorizing, corrupting, or denying affection to a child.
About the About the Author Author
Rajeev Thakur
Director
Grassik Search Pvt Ltd.
Rajeev is the Founder and Director of
Grassik Search Pvt Ltd, one of India's
nest Executive Search rms, which he
established in 1993. Amongst the pioneers
of the executive search industry, he is a
respected career coach, guide, and mentor
who has helped people transition careers
successfully across industries & roles. An
expert change and innovation driver, he
has been instrumental in making GRASSIK
the most relevant and successful search
rm in the country today.
These are the main factors emanating from broken homes,
stepfathers, unemployed fathers, or fathers who are under
substance abuse or suffering from depression. The abuse
and neglect of children can have profoundly negative
consequences for the social, psychological, and physical
health of children, e.g., depression, low self-esteem,
antisocial behavior, juvenile delinquency, adult criminal
behavior, suicidal tendencies, promiscuity, aggression, and
difficulty in dealing with others.
The importance of effective fathering on the mental
wellness & health of children cannot be undermined.
Fortunately, most fathers today have realized this fact &
despite what they do, they have started focussing on
building a close-knit relationship with their children right
from childhood to adulthood. Their main contribution as
part of co-parenting is to play a key role in nurturing
children, disciplining them appropriately, serving as a guide
to the outside world, protecting & providing for them &
being a role model. Children are known to be impacted
more by what they see rather than what they are told,
putting the onus of appropriate behavior on a father to
create mentally healthy, kind & responsible human beings
who will follow in their father's footsteps to create the next
generation of mentally strong children that will contribute
positively to the society.
39|www.insightscare.com April 2022